NU boss Gus Dur wants to step down next year<\/p>\n
BAGU, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of
\nthe Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, said yesterday he
\nwished to retire next year rather than wait until the next
\nelection in 1999.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said he would support
\nmembers who campaigned to hold the election next year rather than
\nthe following year as scheduled.<\/p>\n
\"I have been active in the organization since 1984, and I am
\nsupposed to end my service in 1999 when I would have been working
\nfor 15 years,\" said Abdurrahman who leads the 30 million member
\norganization and many other supporters across the country.<\/p>\n
\"It will be better if I can quit next year, instead of waiting
\nfor another two years,\" he said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"But the decision will rest on the conference,\" he said
\nreferring to NU's National Meeting of Ulemas and National
\nConference in Bagu, 17 kilometers southeast of the West Nusa
\nTenggara capital, Mataram.<\/p>\n
Secretary of NU's Yogyakarta chapter, Nuruddin Amin, suggested
\nMonday that the organization hold its congress and chairmanship
\nelection next year, instead of 1999.<\/p>\n
The congress is the highest constitutional forum in NU and its
\ntask, among others, is to elect leaders of the organization's
\nexecutive board, known as Tanfidzyah, as well as its law-making
\nbody, Syuriyah. The congress is also obligated to establish
\npolicy guidelines for the next five-year term.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said he had prepared several NU members, all under
\n45 years of age, with the potential of replacing him. He named
\nFajrul Falakh, Arifin Junaidi and Said Agil as examples.<\/p>\n
As for his own future, Abdurrahman said he wished to explore
\nmany possibilities.<\/p>\n
\"I'm a flexible man. I can become a freelance writer or
\nbe active in non-governmental organizations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman dismissed a recent statement by Saleh Al Jufri, an
\nofficial of NU's East Java chapter, that he had the capability to
\nbecome vice president. \"I am not sure Saleh was serious in his
\nstatement,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ilyas Rukhiat, the Rois Aam (chairman) of the syuriyah (law-
\nmaking body), disagreed with Abdurrahman's wish for chairmanship
\nelection next year.<\/p>\n
\"Let's stick to the organization's statutes. Abdurrahman's
\nterm of office will end in 1999, not next year,\" he said, adding
\nthat there's no need for a congress ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n
Also yesterday, Abdurrahman spoke about his recent
\ncontroversial visit to Israel. He said he went to Tel Aviv to
\nattend the signing of a declaration against violence or the
\nmurder of innocent people at the Simon Peres Peace Center in Tel
\nAviv.<\/p>\n
\"I was invited as one of the founders and a member of the
\nboard of patrons of the Simon Peres Foundation,\" he said. \"And I
\nobtained approval from NU senior members in a plenary meeting in
\nCirebon, West Java, before I went there.\"<\/p>\n
He said he was the only person representing the Southeast Asia
\nregion. Others invitees included former U.S. secretary of state
\nWarren Christopher.<\/p>\n
He said the public should stop worrying about his stance on
\nand ties with Israeli figures.<\/p>\n
\"A lot of Moslem-dominant countries, including Jordan,
\nMorocco, Egypt, Tunis, Turkey, Oman and other smaller Islamic
\ncountries have opened both diplomatic and trade relations with
\nIsrael,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"A senior religious leader from Saudi Arabia has issued a
\nstatement that peace agreement with Israel is not against Islamic
\nrules,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesia would benefit economically and
\ntechnologically from open ties with Israel. (imn\/43)<\/p>\n
bPresident -- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nu-boss-gus-dur-wants-to-step-down-next-year-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }